Social Issues

Drugs education charity, the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs (DSM) Foundation is once again delighted to be working with your child’s school with funding from Police Scotland to deliver drug awareness workshops for parents.

This term there will be three sessions for parents at all Aberdeenshire schools, each with a different theme.  Please see the details below plus the links to register for each webinar.  Note that as they are all different, you may want to consider coming to all 3, or choose the one(s) most relevant to your child(ren).  Each will provide parents and caregivers with information about the risks faced by young people when it comes to drugs and alcohol and the factors that affect the decisions they make, at a broad level, but also when navigating milestones like starting secondary school or staying safe at summer parties, gatherings and festivals.  Attendees will also be provided with the tools they need to have effective conversations with their child about drugs and alcohol, and practical suggestions for ways to support them to stay safe, and will be able to access related written information after the session.

I Wish I’d Known: Moving from primary to secondary school

Tuesday 5th May – 6.30-7.30pm

Please register here - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f3XgkqtFQ4aVAycU8EGAmg

I Wish I’d Known: Drugs, decisions and young people

Wednesday 20th May – 6.30-7.30pm

Please register here - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ruiBfX9TTdeqsi321OVFpQ

I Wish I’d Known: Summer safety – parties, festivals and other social situations

Monday 15th June – 6.30-7.30pm

Please register here - https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diqk0eMrT7S6xTnM52MwNg

The DSM Foundation is a drugs and alcohol education charity set up in 2014 by Fiona and Tim Spargo-Mabbs after the tragic death of their 16 year old son Daniel as a result of an accidental overdose of ecstasy.  The aim of the charity is to support young people to make informed and safer choices about drugs, which it does through a broad range of workstreams.  Find out more at https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk/what-we-do/

For many young people, the internet offers a world of opportunity – to connect, learn and play. Often, this comes at a time when they’re searching for that sense of identity and belonging. But the internet is not without its dangers. One of these is the way boys and young men are regularly shown online content that is dismissive of, unkind or hateful towards girls and women. They don’t have to go looking for this kind of content – it can often be promoted to them

because of their age and because they’re boys.

Sexist and misogynistic content is never harmless and hurts girls and women, both online and in real life, which is why it’s really important to talk to your children about it, so both boys and girls understand how damaging it is and what they can do if they encounter it.

Further information on this can be found in the ParentClub article.